Flash and high shutter speed problem

You can either use a PC cord to connect the flash and camera, or you can use a remote trigger to fire the flash cordlessly. Your local camera store should be able to provide options for both.

Introduction

Specifications Recommendations

The Nikon D60 is an inexpensive 10 MP DSLR that comes with an excellent 18-55mm VR lens for about $650 as of June 2008. It was a announced in January, 2008, and sold for about $750 with lens in February 2008.

The Nikon D60 is a replacement for the almost identical D40x.

Personally I prefer Nikon's least expensive D40 over the D60 or D40x. The D60, D40x and D40 are actually exactly the same cameras, differering only slightly in their internal electronics, but differing greatly in their prices.

The D60 is actually a D40 body with a few more card-clogging pixels, a VR lens and adaptive dynamic range, but a slower maximum shutter speed with flash.

The D60 is less sensitive to light then the D40 (its default ISO is only ISO 100 compared to the D40's default ISO of 200). Its less sensitive to light because the pixels have to be made smaller to cram more of them into the same-sized sensor. Smaller pixels collect fewer photons than larger pixels. Since the D60 is half as light sensitive, the D60 has to use twice as long a shutter speed or a larger aperture, which makes it more likely to make a blurry picture than the D40. OOPS!

Save your money and get the D40 instead. The D40's faster sync speed is invaluable for use with flash outdoors, and the extra light sensitivity in normal use will help make sharper pictures. These three cameras (D40, D40x, D60) otherwise, for most users, are identical. Compare them in person and you'll see. Megapixels don't matter.

(I detail the few fine points which are new in the D60 further below.)

I had my hands on a D60 back in January 2008. The D60 is an excellent camera, but for most of the people who will buy it, it's the same thing as the $300 less expensive D40. I'd suggest getting a D40 and putting the $300 towards more lenses and/or a bouncable flash.

In fact, the faster flash sync speed (the fastest shutter speed with flash) is more than twice as fast in the D40 (1/500 vs. 1/200), and along with the faster base ISO, the D40 is more likely to make sharper photos for most people, for hundreds of dollars less!

The only significant feature in the D60 over the D40x and D40 is adaptive dynamic range. The D60 does not have any of the other next-generation functionality of the D3 and D300.

The D60 is just a D40 with more pixels, but slower shutter speeds with flash outdoors and less basic light sensitivity due to the smaller pixels needed to jam more of them onto the same-sized sensor.

I make excellent 12 x 18" (30 x 50 cm) prints from my 6 MP D40; do you plan to print bigger? Really? The resolution makes no difference unless I'm printing at 20 x 30" (60 x 80 cm) or more.

Since the D60 costs $300 more than the D40, I'd much rather have a D40, 1/500 flash sync for better daylight fill-flash range, a minimum ISO of 200 and $300 left over to buy lenses and an external flash that I can bounce for better lighting. For instance, the D40, 55-200mm VR and SB-400 is a far better way to spend the same $750.

You could set the ISO to a higher number or use the flash.

Set the exposure mode to Manual (M) or Shutter-priority (S) and specify the shutter speed yourself. You'll have to set it sufficiently slow in order to see any difference between front- and rear-curtain.

You can shoot at faster shutter speeds if you raise the ISO setting. Also, turning up the lights will help.

Using the auto mode on the nikon should help. It will adjust the setting automatically between night mode and day mode.

If you are in Manual Mode and you set your shutter speed too higher (ie above 250th sec) the shutter blind passes over the sensor when the flash goes off causing a dark section in the photo. Lower the shutter speed to get a better sync. Some camera's default sync speed is 1/60th of a second and sometimes user adjustable.

Remember the longer the shutter speed, the more light will register in the photo. Also boosting the ISO will help extend the flashes range and also record more ambient light for a more pleasing and balanced photo.

The D40 will not take great photos of an indoor event without blurring or noise. You need a fast lens and a high ISO using the popup flash or on camera flash would be ideal but some of these events you can not use flash. All these images I shot with a Nikon D40. http://www.facebook.com/home.php?src=fftb#/pages/Keller-TX/Raving-Design/78762448229?v=photos&ref=ts Learn to use the camera for ur events. Experiment it's all about trial and error. Ray

alexisalejan,

well first how far away from the stage will you be?
will you be using available light or a flash unit?
shutter speed and f-stop depend on the light source and film speed. (iso )
the faster the film the less you have to use flash, the lower the f-stop the less depth of field you have, the kind of flash is important, most flash units are good for only around 20 ft.
i would use a high speed film and not use flash. flash will kill any colored lights. try to keep the f-stop at least f/8 and the shutter speed no less than 1/60 sec. have fun.

is it set to auto? if not i suggest you check the aperture and shutter speed setting :)